The Vampires of Prali

By Davidson L. Haworth

The sun beamed down upon the Turin Basilica presenting another spring day to the people of the region. Roses in the church courtyard slowly opening, expanding their petals towards the beams of light, a morning yawn to a new day of promise and jubilation of peace, but inside the church the talk will not be of peace, but of war. The double doors of the courtyard opens up with two monks pulling the large doors inward, the other side of the entrance gives way to holy crusaders who wear the red cross upon their chests and shields. The hooves of the steeds making a clanking sound against the courtyard cobblestones announcing their arrival. Standing upon the sun dried cobblestones that were covered with morning dew just moments before, the bishop appears.Greetings General Gelson, Bishop Bernard extending his hand upward towards the general of Britannia.

A short laugh escapes the generals mouth with a smiling grin towards the bishop. Nonsense my Lord, allow me to remove myself from my steed so I may come to you on bended knee and kiss your ring of holiness. General Crispin Gelson jumping from his horse to greet the bishop and meeting his eyes face to face, My good general Gelson, no reason to do such formal theatrics, I am just a man who serves the church. How was your journey from Britannia? General Clement Laurent of France has already arrived and is waiting for us in the meeting hall. You may inform your men that they can rest their horses and seek rest in Turin until we have formulated a joint plan of attack against the enemy. The muscular general turned towards his men and spoke through his thick beard. Boys, take your steeds to the church stables and enjoy the city until I call for you. The men under the generals command cheered with pleasure with the new order from their leader. The tall general once again faced his priestly friend and said. I am all yours my Lord, may we come to a conclusion for victory. The two friends walked into the meeting hall where they will make their plans for battle against the vampire empire and their Saracen warriors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781475968293

Davidson L. Haworth

Davidson L. Haworth has been at the forefront of the fantasy genre for over two decades and strives to keep the genre in popular culture with his “The Defenders of Prali” trilogy. He has also appeared and toured on a global scale throughout Europe including Russia and Ukraine where he is considered one of the top fantasy authors of the 21st century. His lectures at Moscow State University, and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv have advanced the genre of historical fantasy to new heights. In the United States Davidson is the only author to ever conduct book signings on more than one occasion at the prestigious National Steinbeck Center, and is the first writer to reinvent book tours by conducting his signings at pop culture conventions. Davidson enjoys meeting new faces and making new friends on his mission to spread the genre of fantasy. His short stories and novels is reminisce of W. Somerset Maugham. Davidson lives with his wife and two children in San Jose, California.

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Davidson L. Haworth.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6828-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6830-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6829-3 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012923958

iUniverse rev. date: 12/28/2012

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Spring Crusade

Chapter 2 Mystery Of Shadow

Chapter 3 Eastern Rite

Chapter 4 King Risika And The Plans Of Conquest

Chapter 5 The Torment Of Souls

Chapter 6 In Search For Truth

Chapter 7 The Battle Of Carinthia

Chapter 8 The Deadly Inferno

Chapter 9 The Drums Of War

Chapter 10 Uniting Force

Chapter 11 Swords And Scimitars

Chapter 12 The Long Goodbye

Short Stories

Introduction

The Mighty Babushka

The Eye Of Devastation

The Last Grizzly

Your Time Will Come

The Journey Home

The Devils Trash

The Sumo Geisha

The Girl And The Golden Orb

Acknowledgements

Illustrator

A great mix of engaging fantasy settings, lovable characters, and a healthy dose of humor makes the Prali series a great, heartwarming adventure for people of all ages."

—Matthew Ashworth. Author Melancholy Wings: Decadence

The Eye of Devastation and Your Time will come. They are extremely well-written and are both very moving stories. They remind me of Somerset Maugham, whose books I used to read many year ago. I considered him to be an absolute master of the short story.

—Henry Bury, Felixstowe, United Kingdom.

The short stories toward the end of this book are great!

—George H. Freyre, Author Cuba A Cursed Paradise

The Prali Trilogy is an adventurous series with an amazing, high-colored storyline. Anyone who is a fan of fantasy-adventures as I am will enjoy Davidson L. Haworth’s unique style of story-telling, and his fantastic world that he created for the Prali Trilogy. You will find it hard to put the book down once you start reading, as you will quickly be transported into Davidson L. Haworth’s vivid world of Prali.

—Ralph E. Laitres, Author "Thorgil Bloodaxe,

Enter the White Queen"

For

Theo

INTRODUCTION

The last installment of the Prali series was enjoyable and yet saddened that these characters may never been furthered in their adventures. The Vampires of Prali will be full circle for the characters and the town of Prali, history will change for all times, and I hope you will enjoy seeing to what happens to Mary Archer and company. Writing this last novel I went back to my roots and influences that brought me to writing fantasy from my childhood like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robert Jordan, and many issues of Heavy Metal magazine.

The lasting impressions of these great writers and periodicals are seen in this last installment of the trilogy. The Dragon of Prali is more innocent in nature and in this regard J.R.R. Tolkien being the main influence of the story, and a band of adventurers traveling towards a single goal. The Wizard of Prali is more direct in tone and message and C.S. Lewis was a great influence because getting an underlying message to the reader can be a real chore and Lewis was very good at weaving a tale with important messages for all mankind. The Vampires of Prali is more influenced by Heavy Metal magazine, the action of the story and the changes within the characters. Young Mary Archer finally arriving to adulthood, and realizing that after Dragons, Wizards, and Vampires, life does go on. With every vampire tale there is more blood and gore than the previous installments, and this is used to express the dangers the vampires represent. I believe once the reader goes through this final adventure that they will be pleased and read it over and over again. There are many surprises in store for the reader, and I hope you all enjoy this last adventure.

-Davidson L. Haworth

CHAPTER 1

The Spring Crusade

It is the first day of spring and the shining sun glimmers against the small northern mountain town of Prali. The flowers are in bloom and the people filled with happiness of surviving another cruel winter filled with ice and snow, all is in bloom. Today is also a special day as the citizens line the streets to welcome the new Bishop from Rome to take over the duties of the Diocese of Pinerolo. The day before the bishop’s arrival the children of Prali decorated the streets with newly bloomed flowers and roses above every doorway of every home and business. The new arriving bishop will be speaking to the people from the Prali town center and not the church entry. This new bishop wanted to be close to the people and not be seen as some authority figure, but as a friend, also on this day the Bishop will be blessing the newly trained crusaders of Prali and wishing the soldiers safe passage on their journey to the Holy Land.

The town is well prepared to welcome their new shepherd of the faith as everyone in town lines the streets to greet the new bishop from Rome. The colorful clothes and the flowers of the people shine in the afternoon sun, seen in the distance a caravan with soldiers from the front and rear, and in between is a carriage with the Vatican colors of white and yellow, the bishop coat of arms visible upon the carriage doors, the armored soldiers carrying long poles in their right hands with Vatican flags upon them, the caravan coming ever closer into the town center with every trot of the horse’s hooves. Upon the caravans entry the citizens throw flowers at the carriage and cross themselves in the name of their God. Cheers of joy echoes through the town and the adjacent mountain ranges of this usually silent Italian town. The carriage suddenly stops in front of a small arranged stage with Prali dignitaries standing with their hands folded. One man comes forward to greet the carriage, the mayor of Prali.

Two soldiers flank the carriage door from left to right as the soldiers on horseback dismount and present arms. Suddenly the carriage door opens and a young bishop exits, kneeling before the ground and saying a short prayer. He greets the mayor and walks towards the other dignitaries. The whole town is in attendance including the local Franciscan monks and the newly formed Dominican sisters of mercy who just completed their new convent on the north side of Prali. The bishop greets all the leaders and faces the anxious throngs of people waiting for him to speak. He raises his hand and blesses the crowd with the sign of the cross. Loud cheers grow even more vociferous as he blesses the people. The newly formed crusaders who are nervous to meet the new bishop stand at attention before the wooden planked stage and prepare for their blessing. The bishop finally lowers his hand and folds them, the reflection of his gold cross shining bright against the people’s faces, as he speaks. My dear and beloved believers of the all mighty God, I thank you for your warm greeting and even warmer faces. The people are caught by the bishop’s warm words and a relaxed laughter is heard throughout the crowd. Prali is near and dear to my heart, it is where I first started my life as a religious person. Before arriving here today I stopped to visit the towns of Viterbo, Grossetto, Livorno, Pisa, La Spezia, Genoa, and none of them have the smiles as I see before me today. The crowd erupts with applause as their pride in Prali overfills with excitement.

The bishop remains stoic and continues his speech. My beloved people of Prali, I am thankful for this opportunity to be your new bishop and I hope to serve you right as rain as Christ served and continues to serve the people. Prali in the past years has had obstacles and challenges involving amazingly a dragon that almost destroyed the town. We still today grieve for all those who had fallen in those days. The wives, sisters, sons, and husbands, many of my Franciscan brothers who died at the hands of the sinister beast, then not too long ago you had a wizard pay you a visit and did more damage than the dragon himself. I promise you that these evils will not continue in your region, they have been taken care of and all should be happy and free. We do know of a war that is going on now as we speak. It is a war that we as a people were forced to endure when the Saracens began to kill all the Christians and Jews in Jerusalem. We know of the stories of beheadings and forced conversions of Gods people. As Christians we are fully aware that the Jewish people and Christians stand as one since we are all part of god’s plan, but the Saracens who attack and kill the people of God are not part of God but are formed in the idolatry of Satan himself. The founder of the Saracens we all know who this person is, he was lured to a cave by the devil in the form of an angel. In these days the devil and this man created a book to deceive the human race and to build an army against God’s people. For the last one hundred years the crusader alliance has been in control of the holy land, but there is still danger since there have been rumors of Egyptian assassins hiding within the walls of the holy city. These men before me, these new crusaders will be embarking on a journey to help sever the evil that lurks within the walls. I ask these brave men of God to stand before me and bow their heads.

The young men all bow their heads and wait for the bishops blessing. My brave men of honor, Italy and the crusader alliance support you. Britain, France, Germany, and the other countries within the alliance raise their standards to you, the brave men who give their lives for a greater purpose. Bless these men God as they go to war, for Thee and my God is what they are fighting for. They will be showered with glory or be seen no more, and die on the Holy Land’s shore. Honorius the Vicar of Christ has called for our swords to fight in Alfrima to tame the pagan horde in serving our God. I too serve the Lord; In Heaven shall be a crusaders reward, our horses and men in such fine array for Christ and God’s Kingdom we soon sail away. The cross on a crusaders shoulder won’t lead them astray, as they take the vows on this day. The crusaders look towards the sky and say in a low synchronized tone. We give our lives for country and family, but most of all to our God who holds us in his hands. We must fight to keep the enemy at bay, to fight them there and not on our lands. An enemy at home means death to our civilization. No more will the church and Europe bow to the needs of the savages. A free Holy Land we will fight and bring the peace to our world. With those words the men kneel upon one knee while they waited for the bishops words. My men of Prali, I confirm you in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost. You are now official crusaders of God. The crowd gives a roaring cheer as red and white flowers from the crowd drop upon the new fighters.

The crusaders stand with a continuous cheer from the people. The bishop raises his hands to calm the throngs of spectators. Thank you people of Prali, these men are from good stock and will make you proud. I ask that you keep them all in your nightly prayers and to light candles for them in your church. Now while these men fight in your honor it is up to you to keep the faith at home and tend to your loved ones. I will be here in the Turin province to help you in this endeavor, peace be with you all. With those words he turns to the Mayor and shakes his hand and smiles towards the crowd. A trumpet is sounded and the crusaders form two lines, while the spectators make way for a clear road out of Prali. Two experienced crusaders raise their hands while they sit on their steeds and waves the men forward. The men leaving the area prepared for the long journey to the Holy Land, the bishop blessing them as they leave, the people continuing to cheer.

In the crowd a lone girl cheers for the traveling crusaders. Creeping up behind her is a good friend of several years, childhood friends. Annalisa I see you are entertaining yourself, The friend speaking to the girl with a northern English accent. Turning around she faces her friend and says. Of course I am here; I am surprised you are not here from the start. The new bishop is incredible. Mary Archer and Annalisa embrace, their normal greeting. Mary glimpses towards the stage but cannot see the new bishop. Annalisa, have you been here from the start? I would have come earlier but you know how it is keeping up the house. You left so early this morning I thought you were working. Annalisa responds to her friend and roommate, I’m so sorry I guess I became so excited about this rare occasion that I ran for a good place to observe the proceedings. Mary stammered a bit and wished she would have done the same. Yes I would love to have come. I wish you would have told me you were coming so early. I would have dropped everything and joined you. Annalisa bites her lower lip in a sign of forgetfulness and says. Yes Mary, you know how I am. I get all excited about something and everything else just seems to slip my mind. I will tell you what, I will be home tonight and I will make supper. Mary smiles and says, Ok that is a deal for sure, but I am afraid that if you face the street again and turn your back to me you will see all these men and forget our deal. Annalisa responds with a slight laugh, No worries, I will remember for sure.

Mary turns her head to look towards the stage and all the town leaders surrounding the new bishop. Do you know who the new bishop is? I never read anything about this bloke. I am assuming he is straight from Rome? Annalisa now focused on the crusaders marching through the street completely ignores her friend and does exactly what Mary predicted. Well I guess since you are so intrigued with all this excitement that I will have to cook dinner. Annalisa now on her tippy toes trying to catch a glimpse, but so is Mary in the other direction. Her eyes are focused on the new bishop and the people around him.

Brief glimpses is all she can muster from the distance, she leaves her friend to her man watching duties and moves closer to see this bishop. She still remembered last time a preacher came to Prali and he ended up being a wizard. The golden cross now visible to the young girl